Page 29 of Lose Me In The Shadows

“You are,” Conor said from in front of her. She hadn’t realized she’d said it out loud. “I’m so proud of you, tough girl.”

They came to another armed door, Conor held up the eyeball again, Kara forced herself not to puke again, and then they were through, Kara blinking in the blindingly bright sun. They were surrounded by desert.

She was free. Open sky, fresh air…

…and her former (current?) captor’s hand tight around hers.

“Fucking hell,” Conor swore as they both watched a small jet fly overhead.

There was a zinging sound, and then Kara was knocked to the ground and the breath knocked out of her lungs, Conor on top of her.

“Stay down,” he ordered in her ear. “They’re shooting.”

They waited, Conor’s hot breath in her ear, making her feel things that were wrong at a time like this. But how could she not? For better or worse, he’d trained her to want him as soon as she felt his body against hers. And the relief of knowing she was safe, and that he’d saved her, the realization she’d had back in the cell before they’d rescued her, that he was hers…

She shifted beneath him, rubbing her ass against his cock.

He groaned. “Wicked girl, now isnotthe time.”

The sound of bullets disappeared, and she heard a cough from above her. Conor’s body disappeared and she was lifted from the ground.

Micah checked her over once again. “You okay, baby?”

Conor chuckled. “She’s fine. Was that the professor on the plane?”

Micah nodded as he bent down and brushed sand from Kara bare legs. “He must have already boarded. And I didn’t find anyone else.”

Conor spat on the sand. “Did they know we were coming?”

Kara spoke up. “He heard the alarm. Maybe he had the plane ready and waiting.” She shivered, imagining Chris out in the world, waiting to destroy her life another day.

Conor gripped her hand. “That asshole won’t get away for long. I promise you, Kara. We’ll find him.”

Micah didn’t say anything, watching her carefully.

“What?” she asked him, discomfited.

“Nothing,” he said.

There was a whir of an engine overhead. Kara craned her neck, terrified. Was Chris coming back?

But it was another plane. It circled around before taxiing to a stop.

“That’s our ride,” Conor said.

And then she was in the air, swept up in Conor’s arms like a bride as he carried her to the small plane, Micah keeping up beside them.

“You don’t have to carry me.”

Conor didn’t even look at her. “You did an admirable job back there, but you can barely walk. And besides, I’m not about to give you another chance to run. Look how well that went last time.”

It was only then Kara realized running from them hadn’t even occurred to her.

9

The plane was small but luxurious. Four large tan leather seats faced each other around a table in one section; four faced forward in another. There were two doors in the back.

Kara gasped, but not at the swankiness of their transport. It was in relief: Luke sat in the back across from the small table, staring at them. His right shoulder was bandaged, hand dangling in his lap. Emotions tore across his face, contradictory and intense.

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